Monday, August 5, 2013

Tabliya Cones

Tabliya cones. What a great idea!

Most families used to make their own tabliya (cocoa tablet), bean-to-bar (or in the traditional Filipino case, bean-to-tablets or coin-like shapes) chocolates. 

Someone from my family did. Back in the 90s, was the last time I could recall. The tabliya was made from roasted cacao beans sourced from the father's barrio (where cacao trees grew or were grown in their backyards), that were then milled/ground at the merkado and after which, we'd all help mold the chocolate paste with this supermarket-bought molding thingie (that comes in small and largers sizes, also used in molding polvoron). These cocoa tablets would then be wrapped in banana leaves or just stored in a jar -- our own supply for making sikwate (chocolate drink) and champorado (chocolate porridge).

The classic shape would be either round (coin-like) or oblong. So when I saw these conical shaped tabliya at the recent Sandugo Agri Fair at the Plaza Rizal, I was like, why not? It makes sense, actually. Cone-shaped smaller tabliya pieces. Smaller means easier to melt. The baterol is a cute hipster artifact, but who has time for that? And the shape -- reminds me of incense cones

Bohol-made tabliya, Tableja de Binsoy.
I'm not sure if they were meant to shape it like the chocolate kisses -- that would be kitschy (and Hershey's would not allow that) and wouldn't be smart. From the packaging though, with the swirly cones pictured, the cones might be their botched up attempt at copying the signature kisses. Just their luck, because the cone is turning up to be a cleverer idea and a possibly better name -- tabliya cones.

The shape aside, this tabliya brand Tableja de Binsoy from Jagna is actually quite good. I mean, really, really good. It melted really well, and easily. It was obviously very pure and made for a really good bitter chocolatey champorado.

Apparently, not all tabliyas are made equal.

Not all tabliyas are made equal, apparently.



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